Sometimes, all it seems to take to generate environmental awareness and concern is a walk in the woods.

At least thatB次元官网网址檚 the way that Strawberry Vale elementary school teacher Kiersten Brookes tells it.

B次元官网网址淥ur project began in September with daily walks with another class to increase our fitness, our support for one another and to be aware of what is going on in our own neighbourhood,B次元官网网址� said Brookes.

B次元官网网址淚t was about that time that, after looking at the birds in the area and doing some investigation we became aware of the extirpation of the native western bluebird to our area and heard about the rejuvenation of the population in Duncan B.C. We wondered if we could entice the western bluebirds to our local area again.B次元官网网址�

Brookes explained that the students learned that one of the causes of the bluebird disappearance were sparrows. It seems that sparrows, an invasive species introduced to North America in the 19th century, tend to bully the native birds out of the area by taking over the nesting sites.

Intent upon bringing the bluebirds back, the students embarked on a project to construct 150 wooden bluebird houses for the park area adjacent to the school as well as for use in their own yards and the school grounds. They also committed to monitoring the bird houses to ensure that pesky sparrows didnB次元官网网址檛 move into the new nesting sites. When they discovered that vandalism of the houses became a problem, they moved into the education of the neighbourhood about the reasons for the bird houses and how important it was that the entire community help to protect the houses from destruction.

B次元官网网址淎fter that, the blue bird house initiative got them to thinking about what bluebirds eat, and they discovered that some of the foods that bluebirds eat become unavailable when invasive plant species take over an area. That led us to an initiative where we started tackling some of the invasive plants in the Garry oak woodland surrounding the school,B次元官网网址� said Brookes.

Several invasive species removals ensued and once, during the course of removing English ivy from an area, the classes even found a large black Hawthorne tree that had been so engulfed by the invasive plants that no one knew it was even there.

B次元官网网址淚t was a huge sense of accomplishment for the children to discover and rescue this amazing tree. We let it breathe again,B次元官网网址� recalled Brookes.

The childrenB次元官网网址檚 environmental awareness has expanded throughout the school year and they have engaged in activities that range from the construction of bat houses (apparently bats are stressed due to lack of habitat as well), the placement of mason bee houses, raising meal-worms to attract the bluebirds and more.

B次元官网网址淭he students also decided that they needed to try to help bring the lizards, snakes, insects and plants that we are missing from our Garry oak habitat back. We need to try to rejuvenate this area to ensure species are not ousted from the competition in the neighbourhood surrounding them,B次元官网网址� said Brooke.

B次元官网网址淭his has been a journey of discovery for the children. ItB次元官网网址檚 also given them a sense of what childhood used to be like, having contact with nature B次元官网网址� before we started spending so much of our lives looking at screens.B次元官网网址�

Brooke took the opportunity to explain one final initiative in which the children took part.

B次元官网网址淲e changed the words to the old Beatles song B次元官网网址楤lackbirdB次元官网网址�. Our version is B次元官网网址楤luebirdB次元官网网址�. The children figured that bluebirds are songbirds so maybe singing the song would attract them to our area,B次元官网网址� said Brooke with a chuckle.

B次元官网网址淚t canB次元官网网址檛 hurt to try.B次元官网网址�